Mourning In Maturity

January 25, 2009|By Ethan J. Skolnick Sun Sentinel

MIAMI — Of all the philosophical quotes Pat Riley shared during their time together, Alonzo Mourning repeated one the most, and you knew he would again during the final and most uplifting of his many basketball farewells.

"Adversity introduces a man to himself," the Chesapeake native said Thursday. "And in every adversity, there's a seed of equivalent benefit."

Adversity did something even more in this case, something for which sports fans should forever be grateful. It introduced South Florida to this man, the introspective, philanthropic, responsible and admirable statesman. It introduced us to someone now eminently more likable than the gruff, egocentric, hot-tempered individual who arrived after a contract dispute with the Charlotte Hornets in 1995 to serve as the taproot of Riley's Heat culture.

"They've seen me grow over the years," Mourning said of the Heat staff. "We were just talking about the old arena, and who I was then and who am I now, it's like Jekyll and Hyde. And I'm sure all of you as media personnel can attest to that now."

But it's not about us. It's about you. It's about what Mourning has meant to the South Florida fans and community, a connection rivaled over the past quarter-century only by that with Dan Marino. He started his foundation in 1997, three years before the devastating diagnosis of kidney disease, with Mourning coming off the strongest season of his career.

While that diagnosis might have led to self-pity, and a reduction in selfless efforts like Zo's Summer Groove, it instead served as an uber-catalyst for expansion and promotion. He worked tirelessly to create havens and hope for underserved local children, and his rare kidney disease itself became a cause for awareness.

He has always worked just as hard on the court, making it hard for fans to stay mad at him for long. Not even after he bolted for the New Jersey Nets, a decision he later regretted. Some in the media underestimated him upon his return to the Heat - I wrote a regrettable column in 2005 questioning whether the former franchise centerpiece could accept a secondary role to Shaquille O'Neal. Mourning made such fears seem foolish. He gave the Heat a professional locker-room example, especially for young star Dwyane Wade, as well as an intense defensive presence.

He also gave South Florida a championship, the one he had stalked for a decade. Even with Wade's otherworldly play, the Heat wouldn't have won the NBA finals that night without Mourning's maniacal Game 6 effort. Eight points, six rebounds, five blocks in just 14 minutes.

Maybe he had more short-spurt, high-impact performances in him, even while approaching age 39, even after he shredded his patellar tendon and said "it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over" while writhing on the Phillips Arena floor in Atlanta. After 14 months, the knee had healed enough to give Mourning that shot. Then, at Barack Obama's inauguration, frequent queries about his health "struck a chord." He recognized that he could still walk and run, enough to chase after his kids. He realized that was worth protecting, more than any basket.

So he moves on. To golf, hoping to improve a 20-handicap so he can compete in 11 years on the Champions Tour. To his family, including wife Tracy. To new basketball opportunities, maybe in a front office, maybe broadcasting.

He would be a natural in politics, but he believes he can accomplish more for the community in his current position, without owing any favors. "My true purpose here is service to others," he said. "It's much bigger than basketball."

It's clear that Mourning is a grown man and role model in a world short on both. That counts as his greatest victory, by far.

MOURNING'S NBA CAREER

June 24, 1992: Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. Mourning plays three seasons for the Hornets averaging 21.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

Nov. 3, 1995: Traded to Heat.

1998-1999: Wins his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

1999-2000: Wins his second consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and becomes the first player since Dikembe Mutombo to lead the league in blocked shots for consecutive seasons.

Oct. 16, 2000: Announces he has been diagnosed with focal glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disorder, and will miss season.

March 27, 2001: Comes off the bench against the Raptors in his first game of the season. He averages 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds over the remaining 12 games.

2001-02: Appears in 75 games and averages 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds. Is awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for exemplary community service.

Sept. 12, 2002: With Mourning's condition deteriorating because of his kidney condition, the Heat announce that he will be out indefinitely. He misses the entire season.

July 16, 2003: Signs a 4-year, $22 million free-agent contract with New Jersey.

Dec. 19, 2003: Receives a kidney transplant from his cousin after playing just 12 games with Nets.

Nov. 3, 2004: Returns to the court and scores seven points and grabs five rebounds in 14 minutes.

Dec. 17, 2004: Traded to Toronto.

Feb. 11, 2005: Waived by Toronto after never playing a game.

March 1, 2005: Re-signs with the Heat, averaging 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19 games.

May 12, 2005: Starts two playoff games in place of injured Shaquille O'Neal as Heat sweeps Washington to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

June 20, 2006: Scores eight points and grabs six rebounds as the Heat clinches its first NBA championship with a win in Dallas.